American Public: When Can We Get Our Vaccines?

Several months have passed since we were all placed under lockdown where social distancing and masks were added to the list of things we should not forget when going out of the house. They became like the phones in your pocket that make you jitter when you forget them. Blame it all on COVID-19 that has placed us under pandemic and restricted us to all the activities we should be doing, but we can't because the government is imposing these restrictions for our safety, which we should adhere to.

(Photo: Sophie Janotta)

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In the United States, some individuals are not accustomed to wearing masks even though the World Health Organization is raising an uproar in reminding everyone, not only Americans, to wear their masks and other safety protocols to prevent the spreading of coronavirus. Staying indoors is tough, especially when you're not used to doing work at home. We get it. But normal days are coming because, in the past weeks, vaccines are being formulated with promising results.

With Pfizer and Moderna's announcement of their COVID-19 vaccine with promising efficacy, you can go out more at ease because the vaccine protects you. However, even though the vaccine can become readily available, you might be wondering when you will have the chance to get hold of that medication. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), healthcare professionals, essential workers, national security populations, long term care facility residents and staff, the incarcerated, Native Americans, and people of racial and ethnic minority populations are the priorities in giving out the vaccines; in which 2 doses will be administered few weeks apart from hospitals, mobile clinics and any institution that can provide easier access to the prioritized recipients.

Actually, there is no specific time when normal Americans can get the vaccine shot for COVID-19. Well, we have to understand, some people need to be prioritized. Dr. Anthony Fauci from the Coronavirus Task Force predicts that the average American citizen will have access to the said vaccine in April, May, or June of 2021. That's a lot of time still; hold your horses because you will still get the shot. Don't worry. Pfizer said that by the end of 2021, they are targeting to produce about 1 billion mRNA vaccines. That's a lot, so you can surely get that medication.

What is mRNA technology?

The vaccines that we are talking about are not like rare items you have to find in a game and spend so much time to get hold of it. Scientists did that for us, and formulating a drug that can save humanity against a virus, we cannot even see an enormous responsibility. That is why they need lots of time in clinical trials to ensure the safety of their drug.

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), mRNA vaccines combine desirable immunological properties with an outstanding safety profile and the unmet flexibility of genetic vaccines. They also added that the mRNA vaccine has the ability to induce the balanced immune response comprising both the cellular and humoral immunity while not subject to MHC haplotype restriction. Even though vaccines are out, make it a habit to practice the safety protocols done during this time, vaccines are not yet formulated. Remember that prevention is better than cure, especially in this time where COVID-19 is still lurking in every corner of our society.

Check out more news and information on COVID-19 on MD News Daily.